This fascinating article over at Zombie Hamster looks at that turbulent time following the events of the First World War. Rising from the ashes of post-war Germany came darker, and much more violent, cinematic feasts than those prior to the war, including Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920).

Imagine a world where for one night a year, all crime is legal. You can do whatever you want and get away with it, like beat up the newspaper boy for not pushing it all the way through the letterbox (just an example). Well, this is the concept of James DeMonaco’s The Purge, a home invasion movie like no other, and in this article, Fangoria suggest five films that might well enhance your enjoyment of it.

Asylums are seldom considered joyful places, places where good things happened to agreeable people, and although many are now closed for business, the remains are often more chilling than anything Hollywood could churn out. In this article, i09 delves into the history of six asylums, including Danvers State Hospital, the alleged inspiration for HP Lovecraft’s Arkham Sanatorium.

Is it inherently wrong to root for the bad guy in horror? Does that make you as crazy as the one wielding the machete, or wearing the glove with razorblade fingernails? Some people might say so, but this article from HorrorNews.net looks at why we regard certain horror villains as heroes.

It was the year that gave us Child’s Play, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, and Night of the Demons, but 1988 also gave us the comedy-horror, Waxwork, starring Zach Galligan of Gremlins fame. In this article, The Slant Magazine takes a look back at the film, and how it might have been the inspiration for Joss Whedon’s The Cabin in the Woods.

ADAM MILLARD

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